Using Behavioral Objectives in Teaching Elementary Social Studies Methods, Fact or Fantasy?

Skeel, Dorothy J.

This study was an attempt to determine whether or not it would be feasible and beneficial to develop behavioral objectives for use in methods classes. The subjects were 49 elementary education majors who voluntarily enrolled in the TTT Project at Indiana University. TTT is a government-funded project established for the training of teacher trainers, and involving both classes and public school practical experience. Twenty-four behavioral objectives were established and divided into three area: attitudes, knowledge, and skills. They were then judged by several social studies educators across the nation, and submitted to a doctoral seminar in social studies. The objectives were assessed several ways: attitude-by observation and attitude inventory, knowledge-by objective tests, and skills-by observation of student teaching. In October 1969, a semantic differential was administered, and included behavioral objectives as a concept. The findings indicated: that these objectives can be used in methods courses, if the term is used behaviorally; and, students prefer their use because they feel their goals are better defined, and, they are able to use a variety of teaching strategies. (Author/SBE)